Tag Archives: Philippines

Cosplay Mania announced their special guests for the upcoming Cosplay Mania 2018 which will be held on September 29-30 at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Philippines. Japanese stage actors Hiroki Ino and Kousuke Asuma, both known for their roles in Haikyuu!! stage play adaptation as Sugawara Koshi and Oikawa Tooru respectively, will be part of Cosplay Mania’s 10th anniversary celebration. This convention is one of the biggest in the country, with international cosplayers and J-music stars expected to make an appearance.

Earlier this year, Cosplay Mania already revealed some of the other guest cosplayers which include Emperor Cosplay and Astarohime from Russia, Ola Aphrodite from Indonesia, and Hakken from Malaysia. Tickets and other details have yet to be announced.

Check their official social media accounts and event page for more details and announcements.

PNU Nami, the Japanese club of Philippine Normal University, will hold its annual celebration of Tanabata Festival tomorrow, August 15 at the PNU Gymnasium. Its free admission is open even to outsiders as long as they present a valid ID for security purposes. There will be two separate cosplay competitions both for PNU students and outsiders and the winners will receive prizes and freebies from the sponsors. The PNUan who will also bag the first spot in the said contest will be given the honor to represent the university in the upcoming BOA (Best of Anime) Inter-school competition which will take place next month in Mall of Asia’s SMX Convention Center. On-the-spot drawing contest and other games will also add fun and excitement to the crowd.

Several booths, including those that will be set up by other organizations and schools will also be available for those who are looking for some anime and Japanese-related merchandise. People also need to watch out for the song and dance performances of the Nami members.

Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. According to legend, these lovers were separated and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August.

For questions, details, as well as the mechanics of the games, kindly check the links provided in the text.

Great news to all the Filipino fans of Naruto! It was confirmed by SM Cinema that it will screen the latest Naruto movie that features that newest generation of shinobi including Naruto and Sasuke’s children, Boruto and Sarada, respectively. The film will be exclusively shown by SM Cinema on September 2 (tentative date).

Boruto: Naruto the Movie, will premiere in Japan on August 7. It stars Yuko Sanpei as the voice of Boruto, and Kokoro Kikuchi as Sarada. Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama will be reprising their roles as Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, respectively.

SM Cinema announced that it will screen the first part of Parasyte’s live-action film adaptation this month! The movie, which stars Shota Sometani as the protagonist Shinichi Izumi, will premiere in Philippine theaters this coming February 11. It is directed by Takashi Yamazaki, and the film also includes Eri Fukatsu (Ryoko Tamiya), Ai Hashimoto (Satomi Murano), Masahiro Higashide (Hideo Shimada), Nao Omori (Kuramori) and Tadanobu Asano (Goto).

The story is based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Kiseijū (Parasyte)manga which was serialized by Kodansha from 1988 – 1995. “Parasyte -the maxim-” is also an ongoing anime adaptation series by Studio Madhouse. It is scheduled to air a total of 24 episodes.

The first live-action film was released in Japan on November 29 last year, while Parasyte: Part 2 is slated to be shown on April 25, 2015.

Unfortunately, the much-anticipated screening of “The Last: Naruto the Movie” is once again delayed a few weeks after SM Cinema announced the initial release of the animated movie adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga in December. The said film was supposed to be shown in Philippine theaters on December 17, a few days after the showing in Japan on December 6. However, SM Cinema posted an announcement on its Facebook page last month, informing the fans about the change in the schedule.

But before the exact date was given, SM Cinema once again informed the fans that “the film has been moved to February.” They also added, “The production company decided to move the release date to February. They’re just having some technical concerns with the content but they’re taking care of it now.” Just like before, there is no definite date yet as to when the movie will be screened. Stay updated and check SM Cinema’s official Facebook account to get more details.

Good news to all the fans of Naruto in the Philippines! It has just been announced that the tenth Naruto film will be screened in the said country a few days after its initial release in Japan on December 6. “The Last: Naruto the Movie” will be shown in SM Cinemas on December 17, and so far, no other details have been revealed.

Source: SM Cinema

Masashi Kishimoto himself is taking part in the film’s story concept and character designs, while Tsuneo Kobayashi is directing it. The film is also part of the “Naruto Shin Jidai Kaimaku Project” (Naruto’s New Era Opening Project) marking the 15th anniversary of the manga.

The story takes place years after the Fourth Shinobi War, and as the moon threatens to crumble and destroy the Earth, a mysterious man abducts Hanabi Hyuga. Naruto, together with his friends, must save Hinata’s younger sister in their final battle that will decide their fate.

Case Closed, or more commonly known as Detective Conan, is a a detective manga series written by Gosho Aoyama. Its anime television series adaptation was first aired in Japan in 1996 and is still ongoing with over 700 episodes. Eighteen feature films have also been released based on the series, with the latest one grossing ¥4 billion in Japan. The eighteenth film, entitled Case Closed: Dimensional Sniper, was screened in Japan last April 19th of this year. Written and directed by Kazunari Kouchi and Kobun Shizuno, respectively, the film stars Minami Takayama as Conan Edogawa.

A few months after its initial release in Japan, Case Closed (DETECTIVE CONAN): DIMENSIONAL SNIPER is set to hit the cinemas in the Philippines starting tomorrow, October 8! Check out the Facebook page of SM Cinema to know more updates about the schedules and locations.

“Set in the early Meiji period, an assassin from the Bakumatsu war returns not as a hitokiri but as the rurouni Kenshin, with his vow not to kill and instead, protect those in need to atone for the murders he committed in the past. But the peace in the new age is threatened with the appearance of his successor, Shishio Makoto. Will Kenshin be able to fulfill his vow while protecting his friends and loved ones with just a reverse-blade sword? The burden of saving the whole nation weighs him down as he faces a much more powerful enemy apart from Shishio, and that is the ghost of hitokiri battousai that still dwells within him. “

Cr: Warner Bros. Pictures (Philippines)

The live-action film adaptation of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s renowned manga called Rurouni Kenshin has so far caused a stir among the fans all over the globe. The first movie set a strong foundation for the sequels that were (and will be) released this year. The frenzy surrounding the two new installments proved to be fairly justifiable as both movies raked in millions of dollar in gross income in Japan alone. Kyoto Inferno has also become a certified blockbuster hit when it was released in the Philippines last August 20. And it is no surprising if the third movie receives a much warmer response than before especially that thousands of moviegoers have already been flocking the cinemas since it was released this September.

So how did The Legend Ends conclude? That is the main concern of everyone who was left hanging in midair when Kyoto Inferno ended. And what Director Otomo and the rest of the cast gave the audience was something befitting of the story of the legendary battousai—a truly remarkable masterpiece that breathed life to the fictional characters and enabled the viewers to explore the world of Himura Kenshin.

It is true that some parts of the original story were altered, and it was also extremely regrettable that some scenes that I was looking forward to see were not even included in the film. But the climax of the movie was so breathtaking that not a single soul inside the cinema dared to move. Takeru Satoh and the rest of the actors portrayed their roles perfectly and all the stunts were executed flawlessly. The cinematography and choreography of the swordplay were nothing but pure brilliance. Though some bits of the script were changed, the director was still able to convey the whole meaning of the story about Himura Kenshin’s vow to protect the people with his sakabato as well as his significant connection with the rest of the characters. It’s truly unfortunate that most Juppongatana members were not given longer screen time but like I stated before, the main battle between Kenshin and Shishio Makoto fueled the void. And oh, did I forget to mention how Shishio’s sinister laughter and Soujiro’s deranged act sent goosebumps to my body? Those scenes are totally a must-see. The overall gripping and action-packed scenes were blended with just the right amount of comedy and romance, providing the audience with 100% satisfaction.

“I have an enemy I must defeat.” (Taken from the trailer of The Legend Ends)

Words are probably not effective enough to describe the ingenuity of this movie adaptation. Never in the previous years had I imagined that the infamous hitokiri would come to life through the portrayal of Takeru Satoh. Even those who are not originally fans of the manga and anime have shown great interest in the movies, and they have nothing but praise to offer as well. And now, I must say that I am extremely grateful to all the cast, director and production staff behind the creation of this live action film that is, by far, the best movie adaptation I have seen throughout the years. And with all the flashbacks about Himura Kenshin’s scar that were shown in the movie, I am fervently hoping that a prequel will be announced soon.

The Philippines is once again hit by another tropical storm as several provinces in the said country are currently being placed under the state of calamity. PAG-ASA (Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) has issued a rainfall warning in various parts of Luzon as follows:

With a maximum sustained winds of 85 kph and gustiness of up to 100 kph, Tropical Storm Mario (International Name Fung-Wong) is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday morning. However, PAG-ASA also warned the affected areas of landslides and flash floods. Cainta, Rizal and Dagupan, Pangasinan are also put under a state of calamity. Classes have already been suspended in affected cities while La Mesa dam’s water level has already risen above the spilling level of 80.15 meters. (Source: Yahoo! News Philippines)

Meanwhile, MERALCO posted an update on their official Facebook page with a list of areas where electricity is switched off due to flood.

Everyone, please be safe! Stay updated and prepared at all times to prevent any injuries or damages. Go to your nearest evacuation centers and asks for assistance by dialing the numbers posted above. Fortunately in my place, it hasn’t flooded yet though it’s been raining nonstop since this morning. Here are the websites of our government agencies that you might want to check for further updates and information:

The much-awaited sequel of Rurouni Kenshin has finally come! The opening day started yesterday, August 20 in Philippine cinemas nationwide. The three main actors of the said Japanese film (Takeru Satoh, Takei Emi and Aoki Munetaka) including their director, Keishi Otomo, visited the country for a two-day event last August 6 and 7. Thousands of fans flocked the venue as they tried to catch a glimpse of the stars during the red carpet premiere on Wednesday at SM Megamall. The following day, they were appointed as Cultural Friendship Ambassadors to the Philippines.They also attended a press conference in Glorietta later that day at around 6 pm which also garnered an estimated crowd of about 6,000 people.

Yesterday marked the opening date of Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno in local theaters nationwide. The film proved to be a huge success as it earned P7.3M just on its first day of screening. Warner Bros Pictures (Philippines) confirmed this new record on its Facebook account.

Taken from Warner Bros Philippines’ Official Facebook Page

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is the live-action film adaptation of the manga and animated series entitled Rurouni Kenshin (or Samurai X), which was written by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is the second movie of the two-part sequel starring Takeru Satoh, Takei Emi and Aoki Munetaka. The first film, which was released in 2012, became a blockbuster hit in Japan and it also had several international screenings. The films are directed by Keishi Otomo, and the third part (Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends) is slated to be shown in Japan on September 13 of this year. The story revolves around Himura Kenshin, who was a former hitokiri (assassin) during the Bakumatsu era. He becomes a wanderer and tries to atone for the murders he committed by protecting people using his sakabato (reverse-blade sword). His vow never to kill again is put on a test when his successor, Shishio Makoto and his Juppongatana faction try to overthrow the Meiji government and threaten the peace in the country.

People line up At SM Megamall to watch Rurouni Kenshin on its opening day (Photo Credit: JM Cayao of Rurouni Kenshin Pinas)

For those of you who haven’t watched this movie yet, go to your nearest movie theaters and enjoy this action-packed sequel of Rurouni Kenshin. Catch the fiery screening of Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno in your favorite local cinemas nationwide!